Ten Best: Maple Grove vs. Rogers
A northwest metro and Section 8AAAA clash in a cavernous, packed gym made for a fun night of hoops at Rogers High School. Maple Grove’s season opener started off with a bang against the 2-0 Royals, jumping out to an…
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Continue ReadingA northwest metro and Section 8AAAA clash in a cavernous, packed gym made for a fun night of hoops at Rogers High School. Maple Grove’s season opener started off with a bang against the 2-0 Royals, jumping out to an early 12-0 lead thanks to active perimeter pressure from Tywhon Pickford and company.
The Crimson started small with five guards/wings and it was evident that the intensity caught Rogers by surprise. Matt Carik and Collin Franz fought back to stay within 11 most of the way, but Maple Grove star Brad Davison imposed his will late and finished layups to put the game out of reach. Maple Grove pulled away by a final score of 68-41.
MVP: Tywhon Pickford (SF, 6-4, Sr., Maple Grove)
Pickford has always been springy, and when he isn’t injured is one of the most tenacious rebounders in the area. He grabbed 15 boards on the night, and scored 18 by way of catch-and-shoot treys along with spearheading the Crimson 1-2-2 press for easy lay-ins. Looks like he’s picking up where he left off last January before his knee injury.
Best offensive performance: Brad Davison (G, 6-3, Sr., Maple Grove)
Sometimes when a player has an insane scoring performance, it is very high-volume and leads to an unbalanced team effort and a loss. Davison’s total of 30 points on Friday night was the most efficient I’ve seen from him. He only tallied eight in the first half, letting Pickford and others do their damage and not forcing tough shots. He missed less than five field goal attempts all game, and accounted for six assists, five rebounds and four steals along with his 30-ball.
Best defensive performance: Matt Carik (G, 6-1, Sr., Rogers)
Carik so far this season has been scorching the nets and is up for Prep Hoops Shooter of the Month right now, but tonight he eased up and focused on giving Davison and Jack Hutchison trouble on the perimeter. Had two steals and multiple second efforts to give his teammates open looks.
Best performance off the bench: Nick Camarote (G, 6-0, Sr., Rogers)
Nick Camarote is a fast dude. He ran all over the arc looking for good three-point attempts and sunk one. That was his only bucket but he tired out Crimson defenders who were chasing him everywhere.
Best play: Davison-to-Pickford alley-oop
The contest was winding down but the Maple Grove student section was begging for more. Brad Davison stole a wing entry pass, drove down the left side and tossed the rock for a flying Tywhon Pickford. The connection is a familiar one for the Crimson faithful and they loved it; I’m sure there is more where that came from down the road.
Best under-the-radar performance: Jordan Belka (F, 6-6, Jr., Rogers)
A rangy junior stretch four who is also the head coach’s son, Belka tore up JV games last season for the Royals and proved his versatility on Friday night. He had a solid offensive night of 12 points including two makes from deep. He also guarded Pickford most of the game and held his own. As he fills out his frame, he could become a great NSIC prospect.
Best coaching decision: Maple Grove press right out of the gate
Rogers’ first two games were against Anoka and Andover; not exactly what you would call pressure-based defenses. Maple Grove head coach Nick Schroeder applied a 1-2-2 press to surprise and create havoc for the smaller Royal guards, and it gave the Crimson an early advantage which Rogers couldn’t overcome.
Best intangibles: Ryan Bredensteiner (F, 6-4, Sr., Maple Grove)
Bredensteiner is the glue holding Maple Grove’s defensive core together. Acting as the Crimson’s center, he still guards the opposition’s best or second-best player, and those two responsibilities are not usually given to one guy. His box score presence (four points, four rebounds, two assists) doesn’t reflect his on-court presence and how valuable he is to this squad.
Best quote: Tywhon Pickford explains adjusting to new defensive mindset
Maple Grove impressively held Rogers to just 41 points. Pickford elaborated on the stellar outing: “We practice our shell defense every day! As coach says it’s our ‘bread and butter’. In order to be a great team we have to be great defensively…because of the loss of our shot blocker Reed Nikko we need to avoid giving teams penetration and have great helpside on the baseline.”
Best storyline moving forward: Consistent scoring threats
We all know Davison will get his numbers. Can Tywhon Pickford remain a steady second option? Can yet another Crimson veteran step up to relieve some pressure? Balance will be a key factor for Maple Grove’s success. Matt Carik also had an off night scoring-wise; if he has more of those, will Jordan Belka be the next man up? Mitch Spilles and Collin Franz showed flashes on Friday too. Come playoff time, teams are well-scouted and nobody will be unprepared. Who can stay hot?